Justice of the Wild

Happy Tuesday, fellow readers. Can you believe we are ending another month?! School has ended for some and will be ending soon for others. I can't wait for consistently warmer weather. It's a good thing that this week's read brings us to the warmer climate of Africa in "Justice of the Wild" by Michael du Preez. Let's jump in.

First, the trigger warnings.

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Clean

Triggers:

Mention of a dog dying

Canned hunting (hunting partially sedated animals in an enclosure)

Poaching

Guns

Alcohol abuse

Animal attacks

Death

Mentions of abuse

Kidnapping

Prayer/Religion

"Justice of the Wild" is a bit of a coming of age story wrapped within an encounter with poaching and "canned hunting." This was my first time reading anything about canned hunting, and I was absolutely appalled by it. It wasn't the inclusion of it in the book but of the practice itself. Reading about the hunting and death of animals can be very hard so I understand if it is too much for you. To me, it just brought awareness to this terrible practice, and as the title suggests, justice prevails.

Michael does a fantastic job with character creation. I love the depth of each character and the growth that some of the characters undergo. I always enjoy going on that journey as a reader. The characters are so realistic and the events aren't far-fetched at all. Du Preez does a phenomenal job with character creation and development. I especially grew fond of Rampha as a character. He has a genius intellect, charisma, bravery, and is just overall a wonderful person. His friendship with Paul was also heartwarming to me. I also enjoyed the character growth that I saw with Paul and his father. It was another heartfelt moment. There was even a time that I almost sympathized with one of the antagonists! If an author can make me see another side to a villain, I consider that a triumph in storytelling. Michael du Preez managed to do just that. Even characters who would be considered side characters really stood out and felt relatable. Each character just added more realism to the story.

This one is a true page turner. It has action, adventure, danger, and even a little teen romance. The descriptions of the locations are absolutely fantastic as well. I felt like I was transported to Africa and I love being able to travel via book.

Here is my official review:

"Justice of the Wild" was my first book by Michael du Preez. I found that I thoroughly enjoyed his writing style. This teenage adventure book had me turning page after page. I loved how this book felt like it could have actually happened. The characters were so realistic and the events weren't far-fetched at all. The author does a phenomenal job with character creation and development. There was even a time that I almost sympathized with one of the antagonists! If an author can make me see another side to a villain, I consider that a triumph in storytelling. Michael du Preez managed to do just that. Overall, it is a fantastic book.

If you haven’t read "Justice of the Wild" yet definitely give it a chance. You can find it here: https://a.co/d/dbGBe6u

That does it for me for this week, dear readers. Please join me again next week for another wonderful recommendation. Until then, curl up with a good book.